4 years agoNew York Mets right-handed relief pitcher Edwin Diaz threw a scoreless inning of work on Tuesday in the Mets' 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays to earn his fifth save of the season. He allowed only one hit and struck out one. Notwithstanding his ninth-inning meltdowns and a tenuous hold on the closer job throughout the season, Diaz has had an incredible season from a statistical standpoint. He owns a 1.50 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a mind-numbing 48 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. Diaz, who has had difficulty in the closer role dating back to 2019, has been virtually unhittable of late. Mets fans and managers can, perhaps, be cautiously optimistic that Diaz has overcome the mental issues he has had in the ninth inning as we head into the final games of the season and look forward to 2021. Diaz remains an elite relief option in all formats who can provide strikeouts, solid ratios, and a save or two in the last five games of the season. If he has, in fact, overcome his ninth inning struggles, Diaz stands to be one of the first closers off the board in 2021 drafts given his tremendous upside.--Nick Ritrivi - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com